


Home Is Where The Heart Is

by HoneyxMonkey



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Domestic Fluff, Eugene and Quirin decide to stage a coup, Fluff, M/M, Varian and Hugo are just gay, Whipping, fred is an a-hole :D, nuru is the coolest friend ever
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:34:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29593548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HoneyxMonkey/pseuds/HoneyxMonkey
Summary: After Frederic becomes too openly violent towards the boys, Varian and Hugo decide to leave Corona until Rapunzel is crowned queen.
Relationships: Hugo/Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	Home Is Where The Heart Is

A loud smack rang across the throne room. Hugo held his stinging cheek in shocked silence.

“How  _ dare  _ you speak to me that way?” Frederic demanded angrily.  _ “I  _ am a  _ king.” _

Hugo looked back at him. “What you  _ are  _ is a menace and a  _ tyrant.  _ A true king wouldn’t put his needs before his citizens. And you  _ clearly  _ don’t care about your prisoners’ well-being.”

Frederic glowered at him and the few people in the room were too shocked to say anything.

“Clearly that slap wasn’t enough to silence your arrogant defiance.” Frederic grabbed Hugo by the wrist roughly and shoved him towards the guards. “You obviously need to learn respect.”

Hugo’s arms were held tightly as the guards began to drag him outside.

________________________________

The next thing Hugo knew, he was being tied to a whipping post and his shirt was torn to reveal his already scarred back from his years of receiving this punishment when he was in Solomon’s custody.

He heard the guards falter when they caught sight of his back but they resumed their position when the king walked by.

“So, you find disrespecting me to be amusing, do you?”

Hugo knew he was taunting him. He really shouldn’t take the bait, but he was already here, so what more could that tyrant do to him?

“What I find amusing is how you get so offended and angry when someone calls you out for your misdeeds.” Hugo spat, turning his head slightly to better hear what was happening behind him. He heard Frederic grunt in anger.

“Twenty lashings.” He ordered and Hugo braced himself for the pain.

The whip whistled through the air and connected with his back. Hugo stifled his cry of pain, clenching his jaw and screwing his eyes shut. He refused to give them the satisfaction of a scream. Then came another, and another. By the eighth one, he couldn’t contain it and he let out a scream as his back continued to be whipped and he knew they were succeeding in opening up all those old scars.

By the time it ended, Hugo couldn’t think past the pain. He was breathing heavy and ragged, still letting out small cries of pain in the aftermath of it. He heard angry yelling and then he was being untied. He fell into the arms of his love and Varian was holding him like it was the end of the world.

“Hugo! Oh god… oh god oh god oh  _ god.”  _ Varian muttered, heaving Hugo into his arms who went with a small, pained cry. “I know, I know baby. Just please hang on, you’re going to be okay.”

Varian turned and gave Frederic a seething glare. “If you hurt him, if you touch him, if you even  _ look at him  _ ever again I will  _ kill you.”  _ Varian tightened his grip on Hugo who whimpered in pain. “You better watch your back _ your majesty.”  _ Varian hissed. “Because soon there won’t be many people to watch it for you.”

____________________

Varian managed to get Hugo back to their cabin in record time. He laid Hugo down onto the bed, peeling off what was left of his shirt before pouring clean water into a bowl. He dipped a few strips of fabric into the water and laid them gently over the whip marks on Hugo’s back.

Hugo cried out in pain again and Varian shushed him gently, cool hands pushing him back flat against the bed.

“I know it hurts baby, I know. It’s going to be okay.” Varian said with a soft voice as he continued to dress the wounds. 

Once he was done, Varian left to wash the blood off his hands. He braced himself against the wash basin, shoulders shaking as he allowed himself a moment to cry. Stifled sobs escaped his lips as he imagined what might have happened if he hadn’t shown up. Hugo could be  _ dead  _ right now and it would have been Frederic’s fault. He looked up into the mirror, seeing his red eyes. Varian sniffed and washed his face to be rid of the evidence he’d been crying. Hugo worried too much.

He went back to their room to see his boyfriend was asleep. Good. That was good. He needed to rest. Olivia was perched on the pillow next to Hugo’s head and was rubbing his cheek gently with her little paw.

He heard frantic pounding on the door. Varian went downstairs cautiously, looking out the peephole to see a plethora of guards standing on the porch. He subtly slipped his hand into his pocket, goo bomb at the ready as he cracked the door open.

“What do you want?” He asked.

The guards glanced at eachother. “Frederic’s called for your arrest.”

Varian’s eyes widened. “I didn’t do anything.”

The lead guard shrugged. “You made a threat to the king’s life.”

“No!” Varian shook his head. “No he doesn’t get to do this to me! Not after he hurt Hugo for nothing!”

The guards looked at eachother before pushing the door open, one grabbing his arm and dragging him out the door. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be, Varian.”

“Let go of me!” Varian yelled, pulling away from them. “Let go!”

“What’s going on here?” A new voice said.

Varian looked to see Eugene, much to his relief, walking up the porch steps.

“Well?”

The guards glanced at eachother. “He’s being arrested sir, for threats against the king.”

Eugene raised a brow at Varian. “Kid, what’s going on?”

“What’s going  _ on,”  _ Varian hissed, yanking his arm back. “Is that Frederic hurt Hugo for no reason, and then ordered for my arrest.” He looked at his brother pleadingly. “Please Eugene, I just want Hugo to be safe. He’s… he’s really hurt and if I go to jail he’s not going to make it.”

Eugene sighed. “What did Frederic do?”

Varian swallowed back his tears. “He whipped him. And- and the cuts may already be infected.  _ Please  _ I’m just trying to help him.”

Eugene nodded, wiping a tear from his cheek. “Nobody is going to jail, Goggles. It’s okay.” He turned back to his troops, glaring at them. “I’m calling off the charge. Go back to your posts.”

Varian hugged his brother with relief when they left. “Thank you.”

Eugene nodded. “Want me to help?”

Varian sniffed and nodded, leading Eugene up the stairs. His eyes widened with horror when he saw Hugo’s state.

“My god…” Eugene gasped. “Holy sh-” he cut himself and averted his gaze. Blood had already coated the once clean rags, and Eugene could already imagine the horror show beneath. “Var I’m going to go to your dad’s house and get some disinfectant and medicine. I’ll be right back.”

Varian nodded, hearing Eugene carefully lock the door behind him. He sighed and removed the bloody rags, internally cringing at the sight he was met with. He discarded the mess of fabric and went to get more clean strips and fresh water.

Eugene came back shortly, carrying medicine. Quirin was trailing behind him.

They caught Varian in the kitchen, getting more water.

“Son, are you okay?” Quirin asked with concern.

Varian didn’t even try to mask. “No, I’m not. I’m worried for Hugo, and I’m  _ completely  _ pissed off at Frederic.”

Eugene had a clenched jaw as he walked up the stairs. “I don’t blame you. The things I would’ve done if I had been there.”

Varian followed him up the stairs, Quirin close behind. They walked into the room to find Hugo still wasn’t awake, wounds still seeping with blood.

Quirin froze and went pale at the sight. Frederic had done  _ this  _ to the boy for no reason? The sight made his stomach churn and the thought made his anger boil. Frederic needed to be stopped. It was evident that Corona wasn’t safe for Varian or Hugo for as long as Frederic ruled.

They all tended to Hugo’s wounds, making sure they wouldn’t get infected. Both Eugene and Quirin cringed when they saw the new scars mixing with old ones. It was very apparent that Hugo had received this punishment many times before over the years and this had succeeded in tearing the scar tissue that was already formed from previous whippings.

They sat in silence once the work was done, Varian sitting on the bed next to Hugo, gently running his fingers through his hair. Eugene and Quirin took chairs they placed next to Hugo’s side of the bed, watching the two boys intently and with great concern.

After nearly an hour of silence, Varian spoke.

“We need to leave Corona.” He decided, hand moving to gently rest on the base of Hugo’s neck, thumb rubbing at his bare skin. “It’s not safe for us here.”

The two men looked at eachother, then Varian.

“I know you’re scared but-” Eugene started but was cut off.

“No. As soon as Hugo is able we’re leaving.” Varian said again. “I can’t stay any longer. Frederic is out for my head, and he’ll take Hugo out with me if he has to. He might just do it because he can.”

Quirin closed his eyes, knowing Varian was right but not wanting to let him go. “Varian…” he sighed. “I’m going to miss you, son.”

Varian smiled gently at him. “We won’t be too far away. Nuru offered a place for us last time we visited. We’ll go to Neserdnia and stay there until Rapunzel is crowned queen.” He smiled at his father and brother. “You can always visit us, we’re only two kingdoms away.”

Eugene sighed. “I don’t like the idea of you moving away… but I agree that it’s for the best. I hate to admit it but you two aren’t safe here anymore.”

**_______________________________ **

One week later they were packing all they could carry. Prometheus, old though he was, was waiting outside, hitched to a wagon that would take them far away from here.

Hugo sat on the stripped bed, looking around at the empty room. He couldn’t believe that they’d only spent a year and a half here… he couldn’t believe they had to leave their home.

Varian walked in, looking around just as sadly. He sighed and looked at Hugo. “Are you ready?”

Hugo shrugged, cringing at the odd feeling the movement caused. “Not really, but what can we do about it?”

Varian smiled despite their situation and offered a hand for him to take. Varian pulled Hugo off the bed, holding his hand tightly. “We’ll be back. We won’t be leaving forever.” He kissed his boyfriend gently, letting Hugo deepen it, the blond gently pulling Varian closer by the waist. They broke the kiss, leaning their foreheads together. “But I just want you to know,” he whispered, stroking Hugo’s cheek with his thumb. “That home for me is wherever you are.”

Hugo smiled and kissed him again, gently threading his fingers through Varian’s hair. Their lips moved together for a few moments, the sweetness of the initial kiss quickly turning to desire of the other. They broke it only when Hugo let out a small cry of pain.

Varian quickly drew his hands away from Hugo’s back, cupping his face instead. “Sorry, I’m sorry. Are you okay?”

Hugo inhaled sharply, waiting for the pain to subside before he nodded. “Mhm… I’m okay.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

Varian sighed, pushing away from Hugo, grabbing the last bag on his way out the door. “I’m sorry… I forgot about your back for a moment and…”

Hugo wrapped an arm around him, kissing his cheek. “I’m okay Varian. Stop apologizing.” He climbed onto the wagon seat and helped Varian up. “Besides, “ he kissed his temple. “You didn’t mean to. You just… got caught up in the moment.” Hugo smiled at him. “I can’t blame you for that.”

Varian laughed, leaning his head on Hugo’s shoulder. “I love you Hugh.”

Hugo smiled and kissed the top of his head as the old donkey pulled out of the pathway, starting on the forest path. “I love you too Var.”


End file.
